Title: ENDANGERED SPECIES
1ENDANGERED SPECIES
By
Jack Darby
Steven Clapham
Stephen Garvani
Tim Thirtle
Richard Hutchinson
2ENDANGERED SPECIES
What is an Endangered Species?
- An endangered species is any plant or animal
species that is in danger of extinction in the
near future, either because its populations have
fallen to very low levels, or because it only
occurs naturally in very few, rare habitats.
- An endangered species has been put under
pressure by different factors within the
surrounding environment, such as deforestation
(the destruction of habitat) and poaching (for
sport, etc.). It is these factors and more which
make an endangered species, endangered.
3ENDANGERED SPECIES
The stages of depletion
1.) VULNERABLE SPECIES
A species particularly at risk because of low or
declining numbers or small range, but not a
threatened species.
2.) THREATENED SPECIES
A species whose population is not yet low enough
to be in immediate danger of extinction, but who
certainly faces serious problems. If the problems
affecting these species arent resolved, it is
probable that the species will become endangered.
The eastern indigo snake and the red kangaroo are
examples of threatened species.
4ENDANGERED SPECIES
The stages of depletion
3.) ENDANGERED SPECIES
A specie, plant or animal, that is in immediate
danger of becoming extinct. Its numbers are
usually low, and it needs protection in order to
survive. The Siberian tiger, the southern sea
otter, the snow leopard, the green pitcher plant,
and thousands of other plants and animals are
endangered worldwide.
4.) EXTINCT SPECIES
An extinct species is one that is no longer
living. The passenger pigeon, the dodo, and the
Stegosaurus are examples of extinct species.
These animals no longer exist on the earth.
5ENDANGERED SPECIES
The hard facts
- According to scientists, more than one and
a half million species exist on the earth today.
However, recent estimates state that at least 20
times that many species inhabit the planet.
- In the United States, 735 species of
plants and 496 species of animals are listed as
threatened or endangered.
- 266 of these listed species have recovery
plans currently under development.
- There are more than 1,000 animal species
endangered worldwide.
- There are more than 3,500 protected areas
in existence worldwide. These areas include
parks, wildlife refuges and other reserves. They
cover a total of nearly 2 million square miles (5
million square km), or 3 of our total land area.
- Aquatic species, which are often
overlooked, are facing serious trouble. One third
of the United States fish species, two-thirds of
its crayfish species, and almost three-quarters
of its mussel species are in trouble.
- The current global extinction rate is
estimated at 20,000 species per year.
6ENDANGERED SPECIES
Current affairs
The following current affairs have recently been
on the news
Monarch butterflies in Mexico
- Mexico is currently cracking down on illegal
logging to save migrating Monarch butterflies.
- Police and environmental inspectors have
already closed down 17 saw mills to protect
forests in Michoacan state, where the butterflies
spend the winter.
- They have confiscated more than 300
truckloads of wood from illegally felled trees,
and arrested 28 people.
- Details of the authorities latest effort to
curve the threat were disclosed at a news
conference in Mexico City.
- Mexicos top environmental prosecutor, Jose
Luis Luege Tamargo, said illegal loggers faced
jail sentences of three to five years.
7ENDANGERED SPECIES
Current affairs
Annual Red List of endangered species
- Another 2000 species have been added to this
list.
- Since AD 1500, IUCN says 762 plants and
animals have vanished, with another 58 known only
in cultivation or captivity.
- IUCN says that island wildlife is being lost
through the effects of invasive alien species.
Examples of these islands are Tristan da Cunha,
St. Helena and the Falkland Islands, which are
facing unrelenting pressure from invaders,
grazing animals and habitat loss.
- Hawaiis plant life is not looking too good,
as of the 125 endemic plants added to the Red
List this year, 85 are threatened.
- Among the countries with the highest numbers
of threatened birds and animals are Indonesia,
India, Brazil, China and Peru. Plants are
declining fast in Ecuador, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Brazil and Sri Lanka.
8ENDANGERED SPECIES
Examples of endangered species
- Pacific Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea)
- Grizzly bear (Ursos arctos hornbilis)
- Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus canibou)
- Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus
virginianus leucurus)
- Black footed ferret (Mustela nigrepes)
- Fresno kangaroo rat (Dipodomis nitratoides)
- Alabama Beach Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus
ammobates
- New Mexican ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus
willard obscurus)
- Red Hills Salamander (Phaeognathus hubricht)
- Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
9ENDANGERED SPECIES
Why does this happen?
The primary causes of species extinction or
endangerment are
- Habitat destruction, e.g. - deforestation
- Commercial exploitation, e.g. - plant
collecting, hunting and various other trades
- Damage caused by non-native plants and
animals introduced into an area
- Pollution, e.g. oil spills and air
pollution.
and
10ENDANGERED SPECIES
Why does this happen?
Destruction of habitat
- Species become extinct or endangered for a
number of reasons, but the primary cause is the
destruction of habitat by human activities. As
species evolve, most adapt to a specific habitat
or environment that best meets their survival
needs. Without this habitat the species may not
survive.
- Pollution, drainage of wetlands, conversion
of shrub-lands to grazing lands, cutting and
clearing of forests, urbanisation, coral-reef
destruction, and road and dam construction have
destroyed or seriously damaged and fragmented
available habitats.
- Habitat fragmentation, the isolation and
division of habitats into smaller areas, has
caused plant and animal species in the remaining
islands of habitat to lose contact with other
populations of their own kind. This reduces their
genetic diversity, and makes them less adaptable
to environmental or climatic change. These small
populations are highly vulnerable to extinction.
For some species, the fragmented habitats become
too small, to support a sustainable population.
11ENDANGERED SPECIES
Why does this happen?
Commercial (over)exploitation
- A species that faces overexploitation is one
that may become severely endangered or even
extinct due to the rate in which the species is
being used. Unrestricted whaling during the 20th
century is an example of overexploitation.
- Worldwide commercial exploitation of animals
for food and other products has caused many
species to become extinct or endangered. The
whaling industry in which whales are slaughtered
for oil and meat, for example, has lead many
whale species to the brink of extinction. The
African black rhinoceros, killed for its horn,
which is prized as a medicine and an
aphrodisiac, is also critically endangered.
- Over-hunting has lead to the extinction of
the great auk, and the passenger pigeon, and puts
many other species under great pressure.
- Virtually the entire families of plants,
such as cacti, orchids, and cycads, are
considered threatened or endangered, because of
over-collection, for commercial purposes.
12ENDANGERED SPECIES
Why does this happen?
Introduction of non-native species
- Non-native species introduced into a new
ecosystem have caused serious native species
declines. The non-native, or exotic, species may
be introduced either accidentally or
intentionally, and either out-compete the native
species, or prey on them.
- Native plants and animals may have no
defences against these invaders, which can
exterminate, or greatly reduce, the populations
of many native species. The damaging effects are
generally irreversible, and there is often no way
to keep the damage from spreading.
- For example, in 1959 British colonists
introduced the Nile perch (fish) into Lake
Victoria, in eastern Africa, as a sport fish.
This large predator drastically reduced native
fish populations, and caused the extinction of as
many as 200 endemic species of cichlid fish.
Because the cichlids are important algae-feeding
fish, the lake has since become choked with
decomposing aquatic vegetation, depleting the
oxygen in the water, and leading to further
species declines.
13ENDANGERED SPECIES
Why does this happen?
Pollution
- Pollution is another importance cause of
extinction. Toxic chemicals, especially
chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have become
concentrated in food webs, the inter-connected
food chains that circulate energy through an
ecosystem. These toxic chemicals strongly affect
species towards the top of the food chain.
- Both DDT and PCBs interfere with the Calcium
metabolism of birds, causing soft-shelled eggs
and malformed young. PCBs also impair
reproduction in some carnivorous animals.
- Water pollution and increased water
temperatures have wiped out endemic species of
fish in many habitats. Oil spills destroy birds,
fish and mammals, and may contaminate the ocean
floor for many years after the event.
- Acid rain, the toxic result of extreme air
pollution, has been known to kill organisms in
fresh water lakes, and destroy large tracts of
forested land.
14ENDANGERED SPECIES
Attitudes
- Many people are against the encouraged
endangerment of species throughout the world.
- Many people are supportive of the attempts
to preserve endangered species, or prevent them
from becoming endangered, as many people donate
money towards certain charities (mentioned later).
- However, some people are not supportive, and
instead would rather destroy habitats and poach
for their own benefits.
15ENDANGERED SPECIES
Laws
- There are many different laws protecting
the Earths endangered species from becoming
extinct. Just a select few of these laws are
listed below
Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C.,
668-668C) This act makes it illegal to import,
export or take bald or golden eagles, or to sell,
purchase or barter their parts, or products made
from them, including their nests or eggs.
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C.,
703-712) Except as allowed by implementing
organisations, this Act makes it unlawful to
pursue, hunt, kill, capture, possess, buy, sell,
purchase or barter any migratory bird. This
includes the feathers or other parts, nests, eggs
or migratory bird products.
16ENDANGERED SPECIES
Laws
Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C.,
1361-1407) This Act establishes a moratorium,
concerning the taking and importation of marine
animals, including parts and products, as usual,
and defines Federal responsibility for the
conservation of such animals. Management is
vested within the Department of the Interior for
the sea otter, walrus, polar bear, dugong and
manatee.
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.,
1531-1543) This act prohibits the importation,
exportation, taking and commercialisation in
interstate or foreign commerce of fish and
wildlife, and plants that are listed as
threatened or endangered species. The Act also
implements the provisions of the Convention on
International Trade In Endangered Species
(CITIES) of Wild Fauna and Flora.
17ENDANGERED SPECIES
Laws
Endangered Species Act (1973) In the United
States this Act, a legislation enacted to protect
endangered species and the habitats on which they
depend, established two degrees of endangerment.
A further two were to be added later on.
Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C.
4901) The act promotes the conservation of exotic
birds by encouraging wild bird conservation and
management programs in countries of origin by
ensuring that all trade in such species involving
the United States is biologically sustainable,
and to the benefit of the species and by
limiting or prohibiting imports of exotic birds
when necessary to ensure that exotic wild
populations are not by removal for the trade.
18ENDANGERED SPECIES
Organisations
- WWF is the worlds greatest, largest and
most experienced independent conservation
organisation.
WWF
- It is a total global network, spanning
across more than 90 countries, with
52 main offices.
- It is a challenging, constructive,
science-based organisation that addresses issues
from the survival of species and habitats to
climate change, sustainable business and
environmental education.
- Has 5 million supporters worldwide - some
90 of our income derives from voluntary sources
such as people and the business community.
19ENDANGERED SPECIES
Organisations
WWF's panda logo is recognised worldwide as a
symbol of conservation and sustainable
development.
- The mission of WWF is to stop the
degradation of the planets natural environment,
and to build a future in which humans live in
harmony with nature.
They do this by
- Conserving the worlds biological diversity,
- ensuring that the use of renewable, natural
resources is sustainable,
and
- promoting the reduction of pollution and
wasteful consumption.
20ENDANGERED SPECIES
Organisations
- This stands for the Convention on
International Trade In Endangered Species.
CITIES
- CITES regulates international trade in
over 30,000 species, of which approximately
25,000 are plants.
- The UK government sees CITES as an
essential element for helping to safeguard which
are threatened by international trade, and
supports them strongly.
- The trouble is that not every country
belongs to this organisation, and many of the
regions which sign the CITIES treaty do not
properly enforce its rules.
21ENDANGERED SPECIES
Organisations
PLANTLIFE INTERNATIONAL
- This charitable organisation is dedicated
exclusively to conserving all forms of plant-life
in its natural habitat. Plant-life International
is unique within the UK and Europe, and possibly
the world.
- They act directly to stop common wildlife
plants from becoming rare, or rarer, in the wild,
to rescue plants on the brink of extinction, and
to protect sites of exceptional botanical
importance. This is their one and only goal.
- The charity carries out practical,
conservational work, influences relevant policy
and legislation, and collaborates widely to
promote the cause of wild plant conservation.
- Plant-life International is currently the
worlds leading membership charity dedicated to
this type of work.
22ENDANGERED SPECIES
What can we do?
- Dont buy anything that has been poached
upon. If enough people refrain from demanding
such goods, then there is less profit for the
poachers. Therefore, they will hunt less, and so
some endangered species will be saved. For
example, the rhino or elephant.
- Do not litter, and frequently recycle, as
this will help to reduce the intoxication of our
endangered species. For example, dumping toxic
waste into rivers pollutes the ecosystem and
kills billions of rare sea creatures a year.
- Protest and argue against things that may
destroy a particular species. For example,
deforestation, which obviously destroys
endangered species habitats.
23ENDANGERED SPECIES
What can we do?
- Sponsor animals. For example, elephants.
This means that the money you donate towards that
animal will be spent on keeping that animal safe
and secure.
- Donate to charities involved with helping
with the preservation of endangered species. For
example, WWF, mentioned earlier.
- Participate in charitable projects. For
example, a recent project, involving famous
people drawing squirrels, which were then
auctioned off. The money from this auction then
went towards the preservation of the red
squirrels.